PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend Film Festival honored several short films at a ceremony Saturday night before leading into a final day of movies and socializing.
Honored as best documentary was “For Once in My Life,” which told the story of a band formed by people working in a Florida Goodwill outlet and how they overcame disabilities to make great music and inspire audiences.
“This movie shows what people can do if they overcome the obstacles they face,” said musical director Javier Penia.
“It shows how people shouldn’t let limitations prevent them from accomplishing what they want to do.”
The best narrative film award went to “Obselidia,” which told the story of an encyclopedia salesman who wanted to write a catalog of obsolete events and items.
Other winners included “Bilal’s Stand,” narrative feature jury prize; “Bag It,” documentary feature jury prize; “Ana’s Playground,” best narrative short film; and “Alone on the Wall,” best documentary short film.”
A separate award for “People’s Choice” will be awarded later this week after all the votes are tallied, according to festival Executive Director Janette Force.
Linda Yakush, who preceded Force as festival director, received a special recognition, the Spirit of the Port Townsend Film Festival award, meant to celebrate work that embodies the spirit of independent filmmaking, the arts and community education.
The award includes a specially designed statuette, Galatea, which was based on the sea nymph sculpture on Haller Fountain in downtown Port Townsend.
Modeled after the Oscar statuette, the statuette was created by Chimacum artist Sara Mall Johani, and replicas will be awarded during the next 10 festivals.
Dyan Cannon, the festival’s special guest, left town Sunday after appearing at several events during the festival’s two preceding days.
After Cannon, the most recognizable Hollywood name was Tom Shadyac, a director of several high-profile comedies who channeled his life into a more serious direction after a 2007 bicycle accident.
Those who saw his featured movie, “I Am,” said it defied categorization while it raised important questions about life and existence.
Shadyac, who has shown the film at several recent festivals, said that taking the film to small towns was part of a larger plan.
“We are attempting to ‘seed’ the film in as many places we can in order to generate interest,” he said.
“The people who see it here will tell their all their friends, which is how we will eventually build a larger audience.”
Also appearing at Saturday night’s event was Bunky Echo Hawk, an interactive artist who painted a large picture from scratch during a 90-minute set by a jazz band preceding the awards.
Echo Hawk said on Sunday that he didn’t really know what he was going to paint before he started, calling the painting “The Only Warrior at the Port Townsend Film Festival.”
“I tried to capture some of the energy at this festival, which was really positive,” Echo Hawk said.
The painting shows a Native American holding a bag of popcorn underneath a sign for the festival.
Force said the painting would be auctioned as a fundraiser for the festival in the next few weeks.
Force said she had no final attendance figures but said “we have gotten more new members than we ever expected.”
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
